Charles w



(No Model.)

. C W HAYS MEANS FOR PREVENTING-THE AGGUMULATION 0F GAS IN MAN HOLES.

No. 457,436. Patented Aug. .11, 1891 A /d I OUIIIIIII'IIIIIII INVENTOH:

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES \V. HAYS, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE ACCUMULATION 0F GAS IN MAN-HOLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,436, dated August11, 1891.

' Application filed October 1, 1890. Serial No. 366,738. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. HAYS, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and Improved Means for Preventing theAccumulation of Gas, Water, 850., in Manlloles, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

In the construction of subways for electric wires, pipes, &c., and inthe construction of various underground canals-such as sewers-man-holesare arranged at frequent intervals, so as to aiford means ofcommunication between the underground ways and the street above. Theseman-holes are usually provided with a cover at top and bottom, and agreat deal of difficulty has been experienced from the fact thatexplosive gases accumulate in the man-holes, and the man-holes are alsolikely to collect water, which in the winter-time freezes, and it isthen very difficult to open the man-holes.

The object of my invention is to provide means for obviating thesedifficulties.

To this end my invention consistsin the insertion of a removable fillingin the manhole and in a peculiarly-formed vessel and box adapted toserve the purpose of a filling.

This construction will be hereinafter fully described, and then pointedoutin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing an ordinary man-hole and the meansof filling it as arranged in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 isa detail perspective view of the box or vessel used for filling theman-hole.

The subway A is'of the usual construction and has ducts aleading toadjacent buildings, the subway being laid in the usual manner beneaththe pavement B of a street, and opening from the subway through thepavement is a man-hole 0, having a suitable lining D, which carries aring at the top, of ordinary construction, the ring having on its innersides a projecting flange e to support the cover F of the man-hole. Acover H is also placed in the bottom of the man-hole so as to separateit from the subway A. A box J, which is preferably hollow, as shown, andof a'size to nearly fill the man-hole, is inserted from the top andrests upon the cover H, the box having suitable handles 3' on its upperside, by means of which it may be raised and lowered, and having also anozzle J and a suitable vent-opening through the top, the vent servingto facilitate the escape ofexcessive steam when steam or hot water areinjected into the box to thaw out the manhole. The nozzle and vent areusually plugged to prevent gas or water from entering the box, and whenthe box is to be filled, as described, the plugs are removed. It willthus be seen that the box will so nearly fill the man-hole that it willprevent the accumulation of a large amount of gas, and if water shouldenter the man-hole and become frozen between the sides of it and thesides of the box, the ice thus formed may be quickly thawed by injectinga jet of steam or a stream of hot water through the nozzle .l into thebox J. The box may be then removed and the man-hole opened.

To prevent the box from floating as the space in the man-hole becomesfilled with water, it is provided with a button j, which is located nearone edge and upon the upper surface, and after the box is placed in theman-hole the button is turned so as to extend beneath the ring E; butany suitable device may be employed to prevent the floating of the box.

If desired, the box J may be filled with some substance to give itadditionalweight, and in carrying out my invention it is not essentialthat the precise form of box shown should be used, as I claim broadly asmy invention the insertion of a box or other hollow vessel into theman-hole for the purpose of filling it.

It is obvious from the foregoing description that my invention may becarried out in connection with all kinds of underground ways havingman-holes communicating with the surface of the earth.

If desired, the box J may be made to fit the lower opening of theman-hole, and in that case the cover H may be dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the casings and covers of a man-hole, of ahollow vessel shaped to fit the man-hole, said vessel having suitablehandles and a lateral projection to prevent it from rising,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the casing and sides of a man-hole, of a hollowvessel shaped to fit the man-hole, said vessel having suit able handlesand also an inlet nozzle and vent, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the casing and covers of a man-hole, of aremovable hollow body approximately filling the inclosed space,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the casing and covers of a man-hole, of aremovable box pro- I 5 vided with an inlet nozzle, substantially asdescribed.

CHARLES WV. HAYS.

NVitnesses:

WARREN B. HUTOHINSON, O. SEDGWICK.

